The Regional Assistant Secretary of the Presidency for Parliamentary Affairs highlighted at the Legislative Assembly in Horta that the "2020 State Budget is good for the country and good for the Autonomous Region of the Azores." 

Berto Messias spoke at the debate raised by the BE party on this matter. On the occasion, he stressed that the recently approved 2020 State Budget by the National Assembly “represents something very important for the Azores,” which is the “the National Government's assumption of the imperative need to support the Region facing the damage caused by Hurricane Lorenzo.” As he also noted, this attitude "is a sharp contrast to the National Government that we had before 2015." 

The Regional Secretary assured that, nevertheless, the Regional Government “will continue to play its role by monitoring the matters that concern the Azores, exerting pressure on the National Government whenever necessary and promoting cooperation in search for the best solutions for the Region." 

Berto Messias considered that this National Government has assumed itself as a “government of a unitary State with Autonomous Regions” that has “shown concern for the Azores and for the functions of the State in the Region.” 

The government official noted that “some matters require improvements, which should be done at a faster pace," ensuring that the Regional Government will act "in accordance with the spirit of cooperation and involvement that has been developed over the past years with the National Government."
 
With regard to the construction of the new prison establishment on the island of São Miguel, Berto Messias regretted the approval of the proposal to change its location at the National Assembly by the BE party and “a negative coalition.” According to him, this decision “irreparably delays the construction of the new prison establishment; let there be no doubt about it." 

The Regional Secretary stressed that a prison establishment “of that size and with that technical complexity cannot be built in such a short time," but it rather "requires a thorough assessment and proper preparation by the competent bodies, as it had already been done."
 
“The BE party's proposal approved at the National Assembly was a frivolous and unprepared decision that irreparably delays the investment in the new prison establishment on the island of São Miguel.